Do you know what day it is?

Looks like I need to change a number in my blog profile from 33 to 34.


Happy Birthday to me.

Saturday 10-18 part II! Fall fun

After going to Joey’s new school we went home for some lunch and meet up with our neighbors (Keith, Jen, and Jocelyn). We went together to a farm. Every year I have the same thoughts when it turns fall. That is that I wish there was a place that we could take the kids that would have numerous activities for children and families to enjoy the leaves, pick pumpkins, go for a hay ride etc. One night I spent a lot of time on the computer trying to find a place that would be different and fun. Up until now our yearly outing would be to go to a place that is decorated a bit and pick out a pumpkin. As far as fun things to do that are fall/ Halloween and family oriented we have never found the perfect place. Anyways I was talking to my neighbor and she told me about a place that she has been to and a place that she really enjoyed. I was really excited. The place that we went to was about 40-45 minutes from our home. Our neighbors have a little girl that as it turns out is 3 days older than Gabrielle. They have become best buddies. It was a wonderful time!! This place was amazing! The leaves and colors on the trees were gorgeous, not only was there face painting, pony rides, tee-pees, slides, horse drawn carriage rides, tractor rides, apple picking, pumpkin picking, trails in the woods, a huge place for kids to run around that was filled with hay that you could pick up and have little “snow ball fights” with, walking on stilts, slides, play areas, and a corn maze X2!!! I am probably missing some things too. It was well worth the drive and a blast. I urge you to look up farms in your area to see if they do fun things. We will definitely be going back yearly. Before I show all the pictures I have to tell you all this too….

Some of you may be surprised to know that this city girl has never been this close to corn or in a corn maze. Look at my face when viewing the corn!! Jeff thought it was hilarious. It was also a chilly day! We came home and I did it... I turned the heat on! That time of year again!! :(

Part I of our Saturday

Today we all got up early for a day filled with family, friends, and fun. We started our day by going to an orientation for Valley Christian Academy. (http://www.valleychristian.com/) This is the school we have chosen for our kids to start attending for Kindergarten and beyond. Jeff and I both went to public schools. We currently live not even five minutes from the city I grew up in. When we bought this house and started having kids we started to become concerned with the city schools for the district and city we live in. Jeff really expressed a great desire for our kids to go to a Christian private school. I have to say that after going to the open house today I am totally sold on this school. I am so excited for Joey to start attending this school next year.
Here were some things that I found to be very impressive. One of the speakers this morning was the principal of the school. I found that to be totally neat. I remember growing up and thinking about our principal. First of all she looked mean; secondly it was put into your head that her office was a place that if you went there you were in big time trouble, third was always the fear of the “paddle”. In contrast today we saw and met one of the kindest and gentlest people I have ever met. They want kids to go to her office. A teacher may send a child to her office if for example they get an A on a paper, they do a great job reading aloud, or they spell their name correctly. Then when they go to her office they can get stamps, stickers, or as she says “do a happy dance” together. She then goes on to say if there is a situation where for example a child hit another child, they calmly talk about it. They discuss consequences and how to treat others. Love that. So she is not a person to be feared at all, but a person to confide in and to become friends with. You can tell by the way she talks that she loves her job and the kids. She then went on to talk about how all kids learn differently. If they find that a child is learning on a different level there is no holding that child back or the other kids that are excelling on a skill back. They simply do other things and try different ways to teach the child that learns different or is falling behind in a loving manner. I LOVE that too.
Other bonuses:
They have a computer lab!!! The kids in kindergarten yes, kindergarten know how to save files, learn Microsoft, and excel, can make spread sheets by the time they go to second grade.
They have music where they learn notes and have the opportunity to learn instruments
By the time the kids enter first grade they can READ!!! Some kids in this class right now are on a fourth grade reading level!!
I could go on and on. Jeff and I had three other families come up to us and out of nowhere tell us how much they love the school and how the school has changed their lives and their kids lives.

Update on our kids. Joey is doing really well at school this year. (Preschool) He is still occasionally having speech issues. I talked with the lady at VCA today and the day that they do kindergarten registration the lady that does it is a speech therapist. If they pick up problems in that first meeting they flag it and he can get individual attention at VCA
Gabby is amazing! This child is very intelligent. (They both are Joey just does not share as much about what he knows unless he is quizzed) She comes home and is singing CONSTANTLY even when she should be eating. I think I may have a singer on our hands. She loves preschool and after watching her today I think she is ready for kindergarten too… 2 more years for her. She had a ball today at the new school.
As a parent I am just very excited for our kids and the decision that we made to send them both to VCA.

Saturday part 2 to follow tomorrow I promise! I promise to visit all of your blogs tomorrow also.

Where have you been?

I have been such a BAD blogger and I apologize to you that I have not been leaving comments on your blogs. I promise to be back soon. You all know that both kids are in school now. I have been trying to now figure out what to do with my time and have been working on my resume. I have sent out my resume (it is now via e-mail) to various hospitals for RN jobs. One hospital that I applied to four of the different job positions e-mailed me back stating “after careful consideration they gave the job to someone else”. In my resume I was upfront and stated that for the past 5 years I have been a stay at home mom. If they put two and two together they know that I quit my last job as a RN 5 years ago when I was pregnant with Joey and had all the complications to be a stay at home mom. I guess I don’t blame the people in charge for wanting to go with a RN right out of school and one that has no ties to a family and kids. I still have two hospitals that I applied for. It has been over two weeks now and have not heard from them.
On the other side all my readers and nonfamily members may be surprised to know that I am an eBay powerseller. I do a lot of research and know what is hot and go find those things to list on eBay. Last year around Christmas time I made a pretty nice profit that was helpful for Christmas and when Jeff and I went to Hawaii. This can be like a job and can be time consuming at the same time once things are listed and if you are able to sell the same thing multiple times then there is not a lot of work involved. Like everything in life it has its good points and bad. I am good at selling on eBay and I do really enjoy it. I enjoy the high of going into a store and being on the hunt for something and then finding it. I also love to send people mail. One of my favorite things to do is get mail. I ship fast. If you buy something from me it will be out of my house on 12 hours maybe before. I have even slept out for things I am on the hunt for. Last year I spent many nights outside for the Nintendo Wii. Yes, I am one of those crazy people you see on television. It really can be fun though. Being around other adults. Last year I met a couple that was married and also selling for extra money for Christmas. This guy was a genius and knew how to hook up some sort of heater to his van. So I would talk to him and know where he would be for free heat. If you are wondering I probably sold over 50 wii systems last year. As for the kids they would be with Jeff. Sometimes Jeff would also go and the kids would stay with my parents that way we would get two. The wii was pulling in a profit of $ 100.00 a Wii last year.
So again I have been busy buying, selling, researching, and listing. This is what I do and something I enjoy. There are many people who would say I hoard toys. To that I just say this; I stay at home with my kids. One family income with the way the economy is today and the life style we live is not enough. This is something I can do to help provide for my family as well as be home with the kids, pick my kids up from school, and go to sporting events. Either way I look at this as a job. I also know that if I did get hired tomorrow for a RN job that I would see my kids a lot less. I am still looking for a RN job, just not as aggressive as before. I want to sell again through Christmas and then try to get a RN job in January.

I have a little widget in my sidebar. My eBay seller name is Bluecakes22. Please remember me if there is anything you are looking for.

9-11-2001

My thoughts and prayers are with all those that lost loved ones 7 years ago today.

9-11-01 changed many people and their lives. Mine included.

My heart goes out to all of those who will be reliving this anniversary of a loved ones death.

Days like today are never easy.

I will never forget this day and how brave so many American men and women were on this day 7 years ago.

Thank you to all of our troops for our freedom.

God bless all of you.

Wordful Wednesday

Angie began Wordful Wednesday and today I am going to give it a try.


We were getting the kids ready for bed. We sent them upstairs to brush their teeth and put on their pajamas while Jeff and I finished up a few things. We then heard the water to the bath tub starting. Neither of us said it was a bath night, but one of our children had different plans. I began and Jeff helped looking for bunny before going upstairs to get the kids to bed. I could not find bunny and I was worried about the kid in the tub. So I went upstairs to ask where bunny might be hiding and I pulled back the shower curtain and saw this. I then sent Jeff up with the camera.

What would you have done?

Sometimes life situations present themselves and I for one don’t know how to handle them. So I was wondering what you would have done had this been you.
I was at the grocery store looking at all the fattening, delicious, yummy desserts trying to pick out the right one for Jeff’s birthday. I could not decide if I should do a traditional cake or something a bit fancier like the turtle cheesecake, or peanut butter cup cake, or Oreo cake. I was deciding what cake to purchase when the lady behind the counter began sneezing. One sneeze after another until she sneezed into her hands FIVE times. I waited to see if she was going to go WASH her hands or put on clean gloves or sanitize herself in any way. She chose not to. I was sick to my stomach at the thought of her touching anything that I would be putting into my mouth and my family as well. So I politely told her I changed my mind. I walked over to the premade cakes and watched as the next person walked up to the bakery and made a purchase. I know that this lady did not wash her hands before helping this next customer. I don’t want to be the germ police, but isn’t this common sense???

So should I have asked her to wash her hands and then put on gloves? Would you have walked away too? What would you have done?